[self_shattered]

Photo: Firoz Ahmed
On a sweltering Friday, at least four picnic revellers jumped into the Buriganga waters, to their death, for fears of life—chased by Ansars. A launch set out for a picnic spot—far from the capital, with about 200 men and women on board. The party went out of control under the influence of alcoholic drinks and high-octane music. Some "unruly" men attacked the female singers of the band, known as Love Touch. Revellers splintered into two groups and clashes set in. The crew steered the vessel back to where it started—Sadarghat. The moment the double-decked launch anchored back at the terminal, on-duty Ansars rushed in and beat the men and women. Many jumped off the deck. Rescuers ran an operation in search of more bodies or the people still missing. A distraught mother waited on the pontoon for her son to come back. Lights shone through the night, but hope didn't.